


the sun which smiles

by ahjusshi



Category: Taynew
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Strangers to Friends, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, it isn’t even there tbh, mini chaptered, soft, taynew - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-01-30 22:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 4,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21435634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahjusshi/pseuds/ahjusshi
Summary: the many times new meets tay who seems to be always smiling and the time he isn’t
Relationships: New Thitipoom Techaapaikhun/Tay Tawan Vihokratana
Comments: 16
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> lowercase purposefully intended*   
available to read on wattpad* (user: ahjusshii)

"this is tay," lee introduces. 

the sky was bright blue that day with a few stray clouds, something rare in bangkok. it was a pretty morning, birds chirping annoyingly and bugs flying about with a mission to annoy anyone they could. and lee's friend was undoubtedly attractive, yet there was something off about him. 

new blinked at the tanned stranger who was politely smiling at him with a hand held out to shake. 

"nice to meet you," the man, tay first spoke. nice, deep voice. 

new didn't take the male's hand and only stared at him. that's weird, he thought as he looked at the male. 

"what's wrong, new?" lee asked. 

tay had brown eyes. beautiful, chocolate brown eyes. they were pretty, especially in the sunlight, but at the same time, not. they looked too...smiley? 

"new?" lee asked again. 

new glanced down at tay's outstretched hand, staring at it for another second longer before finally engulfing it with his own pale hand. 

"and you," he finally spoke, looking back up at the brown orbs without a returning smile of his own. you could say he was confused. 

tay's smile widens at his response though, squeezing his hand with a shake before the two let go.


	2. Chapter 2

the second time new saw tay was at lee's party (which he claimed to be a get-together, but new would have to disagree with the amount of people that had showed up at his friend's apartment). 

new had been getting a drink from the food bar that he helped set up before the party had started, letting himself indulge some snacks along with some punch with the excuse of exams being over (he tried to eat healthy) when tay had come up beside and said hello. 

"hey," he said back. new remembered his brown eyes and cheery smile. he was also still attractive. 

"you don't look like a guy who picks fruit punch over alcohol," tay had said with tease. a nice conversation starter.

"i have a sweet tooth," new explained with a shrug. 

tay had nodded, still holding a polite smile on his lips which new could not stop staring at. it just seemed a bit off. 

"well," tay spoke up, grabbing new's gaze back to his eyes, "i'm heading back to the main room." 

new hummed. "i'll still be snacking." 

tay laughed. new didn't know why and before new could ask, tay was waving goodbye and twisting around to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

the third time new sees tay was just a few days after the party. new had just been going to school when he decided to stop by a coffee shop for a quick drink. he thought it would also wake him up a bit more before his early morning class. 

he steps in, hearing the door jingle as he walked in into the semi-busy cafe and is greeted by the cashier up front who just happened to be tay. 

"oh! new!" he exclaimed, his smile growing at the familiar face. 

new walked up to him. "tay, you work here?" 

tay nods, his smile not wandering. "yeah. it's close to school and fits my class schedule." 

new nods, lips shaped into an o from the information. 

"so, what would you like to order?" tay asks then. 

"actually, this is the first time i've been here," explained new, raising a hand behind his head to itch a random spot. 

"it's fine," tay reassures lightly with a wave of his hand, "you like sweet things, right? i'll get you a caramel macchiato, then." 

new blinked in surprise. tay had remembered what he had said at the party. 

"did you want a snack with a drink?" tay asks. 

"uhm. no?"

tay laughs. "you don't sound too sure." 

new chuckles. "i have class, so maybe next time." 

"you promised!" tay says before turning around to make new's drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my bl twitter is @ thitipooms if anyone wants to chat lmao


	4. Chapter 4

he told himself it's because he made a promise to tay he'd come again when he arrived at the cafe the very next day. he was free today with nothing to do and he thought it would be a great way to fill up his time. so, he didn't feel that weird when he stepped inside the building and was immediately greeted by the usual smiling tay. 

"you came!" he exclaimed happily. 

new smiled back. "yeah, i did." 

"i didn't expect you to come back so soon," tay spoke, then leaned his head close so only new could hear him, "was the macchiato that good?" 

new chuckled. "no, i was just free and thought i should try out those desserts that you promised were good." 

"oh?" tay raised an eyebrow, leaning back, "so, the drink wasn't good?" 

"oh, no!" new's eyes widen, raising both hands to deny the question, "it was good, it was! i just - "

tay interrupts new's stammering with a loud giggle. it was a nice giggle, new thinks. "i was just teasing, new!" he explains. 

new blushes when he realizes, looking at the cash register in embarrassment. "oh." 

"no, it's cute." 

new blinked up at tay, surprised by the comment. no one has openly called him cute when they barely had known each other. 

"oh," tay starts when he catches new's surprised look, "was that weird?"

new shakes his head. "no. no, it's fine." 

tay nods, although he still looked wary. 

"actually, a lot of people call me cute," new speaks, bringing his hands together to fidget with. 

he watches tay shrug, a polite smile still on his lips. "it makes sense." 

new nods this time, lips pulled in together. he wasn't great with keeping a conversation, but it seemed he didn't have to worry because tay was good with it.

"so, your order?"


	5. Chapter 5

"i hear you and tay have gotten close recently," lee mentions one day after class. 

new presses his lips together. "i guess." 

"what does that mean?" 

"i wouldn't say we're close," new explains, not taking his eyes off the worksheet that was due before they could leave, "more like...acquaintances? he knows you, i know you, so like we know each other?" 

lee hums, nodding his head understandingly. "well, i think it's great if you two did become friends." 

new looks up, crinkling his eyebrows. "why?" 

lee shrugs, staring down at his own paper he had already finished. "i don't know. like, i know it's kind of hard for you to become close with someone, so i thought it was nice when i heard from tay that you two have been talking." 

"tay said we've been talking?"

"yeah?" lee answers, furrowing his own eyebrows in confusion, "you aren't?" 

"i just happened to go to the cafe he works at," new explained. 

lee shrugs after a short second of silence. "well, tay thinks you guys are pretty much friends at this point." 

new blinks, repeating, "friends." 

"yeah, tay's pretty chill," lee continues, "he's a nice guy to be friends with." 

tay and him, friends. 

it had a nice ring to it.


	6. Chapter 6

friends. they were friends. already? it hadn't even been a month since lee introduced the two. and they've met for a total of four, five times? 

new doesn't remember getting a friend to be this easy. 

"you come here a lot," tay points out one day, taking a seat in front of new during his short lunch break. 

"the desserts are pretty good."

tay raises his eyebrows. "wow, so you're not just keeping me company?" 

new looks away to hide his shy smile, but not forgetting to fight back, "i have a lot of free time." 

"wow. what kind of friend you are," tay teases, followed by a laugh. 

friend. he was tay's friend. that easily?


	7. Chapter 7

it was really easy to get along with tay, new learns. maybe that's why it was so easy to become his friend. 

the male was always happy and smiling, no matter what the weather was like or how busy it was at the cafe. he always had his natural smile on show, showing off his pearly white teeth and shining just as bright, dare new say, the sun. 

it perfectly fit his name, new thinks.


	8. Chapter 8

"back again, i see," tay says, walking up to new's table after taking a customers order. 

new shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "i like it here." 

tay smiles. always smiling. "that's good." 

"yeah?"

"i like the company." 

new feels his cheeks heat, immediately looking down at his empty plate he had finished long ago. 

"you know," tay starts, taking a seat across new, "we should hang out sometime." 

new blinks in surprise. 

"like outside of my workplace," tay adds. 

"okay," new agrees. 

tay beans. new likes the grin tay gives him whenever he's happy. it makes his body warm.


	9. Chapter 9

they ended up at new's small apartment after tay finished work. new kind of regret not cleaning his place up more. he usually doesn't have anyone come over except for lee. 

"it's a nice place," tay still compliments.

"you don't have to lie." new snorts, "it's a mess." 

tay shrugs, sitting down on the white couch. "gives it some personality." 

new laughs at that. "i guess." 

"so, what do you want to do?" 

new shrugs. "play video games?" 

tay grins at that. "sounds fun." 

new likes his smile a whole lot.


	10. Chapter 10

"i like stars," new says one night. he was on the phone with tay who had just come home late after work. 

he heard tay laugh through the line. it warmed his heart, making him feel a bit weird. it's been like that lately, but new didn't think much of it. 

"but it's always cloudy," tay says after quieting down, "you can't really see the stars in bangkok." 

"still, i think they're pretty." 

"well, what's your favorite star?" tay asks. 

new's favorite star. well that had to be the "sun," he finishes out loud. 

tay snorts. "basic." 

"the sun is pretty. and bright." new hums in thought, "it reminds me of someone." 

someone who's just as pretty and bright.


	11. Chapter 11

new thinks he likes tay. but they're friends who just met. nobody ever falls in love that quick. do they? 

new sighs, feeling a bit stressed from the sudden realization of his crush. it was annoying to put a reason behind his shyness and how mushy his body would get every time tay would smile at him or even call him cute. it was starting to make him feel guilty for liking his friend. 

how does he stop that feeling?


	12. Chapter 12

"hey new," lee calls one day, "is something the matter?"

"no?" new had just been laying at home all day, trying to find something to do to fill his boring life.

"tay said you've been avoiding him."

new doesn't reply. he feels bad when he hears lee say it out loud.

"new?"

"i've been busy," new quickly lies. "i have homework to do and i started this job..."

"new."

new knew he wasn't a great liar and lee has known him since middle school, but he still continued. "yeah?"

"are you okay?" his friend asks, worry laced in his tone.

"i'm fine," new answers almost too quickly. "i'm just busy, that's all."

"are you sure?" lee asks, "because if you're not, i'm always here to help or to talk to. you know that, right?"

new bit his bottom lip in guilt. he felt bad that he didn't feel like he could tell his friend about his crush. he felt like lee would hate him for liking tay and maybe even judge him for it.

"yeah."


	13. Chapter 13

new was just doing his homework when he hears an angry knock on his door. he checked the time, reading just after eight before standing to his feet to see who it was. 

he opens the door, eyes widening when he sees tay standing across from him. he wasn't smiling. 

"new." 

"tay." 

"are you avoiding me?" tay asks, voice stern and a bit angry, "because lee says you're busy and to give you time, but it's been like - what? a week or so, and you're not answering my text messages and you're not even stopping by the cafe either." 

"i'm sorry," new apologizes, the guilt building. "i've just been busy."

"with what!?" tay yells. new notices the forming tears in his eyes and his heart immediately breaks. "you've never been busy before, but all of a sudden, now you are?" 

"tay, i'm sorry," new pleads, taking a step closer to his friend and grabbing his hand, "i'm just - "

tay pushes new's hand away from his. "you're busy?" tay asks, wiping the tears that had started pooling in his eyes, "well, you're a shitty fucking friend to be so busy to ignore me." 

"tay."

"fuck you," tay says before turning away and walking off, leaving new to himself.


	14. Chapter 14

tay wasn't smiling. 

new doesn't think he's ever seen tay not smile whenever they hung out. it was different, weird. new didn't like it. 

tay looks beautiful when he smiles. he looks happy and bright, shining his ray around him and making others feel better. 

when new first met tay, he thought it was weird. how could a male smile so happily? it scared new at first, but he grew to love the smiles tay would wear. 

his polite smiles, his happy smiles to his shy smiles. tay was just always smiling. but new ruined that. 

he made the male frown. he made him cry. friends don't do that. he's a shitty friend for doing that to tay. so, how does he make tay happy again?


	15. Chapter 15

"i'm sorry," new says the very next day. he waited for tay to get off work so he didn't bother the other customers there or make a scene. 

tay was still frowning. 

"i'm sorry, tay," new repeated. "i'm sorry for avoiding you. i just...got so busy with my new job and doing my homework." 

he hated that he was still lying. he had a lot of time. he used that time to think of tay and his gorgeous smile. 

"i don't believe you," tay says. 

new frowns. "what can i do to make it up? i'll do anything, please. i don't want to lose you as a friend, tay. i just want to see you smile again." 

"sorry, new. but i don't think you're telling me the truth." 

new watches tay walk off.


	16. Chapter 16

"what's wrong?" lee asks as soon as he comes over and they settle on the white couch. 

"i don't know what to do," new confesses. 

"with what?" 

"with my feelings." new pauses, biting his bottom lip before letting out a sigh, "tay and i are friends, but i don't see him as a friend." 

lee turns his head to the side, eyebrows scrunched together. "do you hate him or something?" 

"no," new denies immediately, "opposite of that, actually." 

"you like him?" lee asks, sounding more confused than the last time. 

new warily nods, watching lee's reaction. 

"like...like, like him?" 

new nods again. he watches lee blink before his eyes widen in shock. 

"holy shit, you like like him?" lee asks again. 

new presses his lips together. "yes, lee. i like him." 

"that's awesome!" lee says with a grin, but quickly frowns, "so, wait, what's the problem?" 

"the problem is exactly that," new explains, "i like him." 

lee blinks again. "now i'm confused again."


	17. Chapter 17

lee says new was stupid. 

"why the hell would you worry over how fast you started liking someone?" he asked, confusion clear in his eyes. 

"what if i'm just like this because he is a new friend," new argued back, "what if all these feelings go away?" 

lee only sighed. 

new knew he was hard to deal with - knew his feelings were hard to deal with. 

"i guess you need to ask yourself how you feel now," lee states, falling back against the couch. 

new frowned at him. "that's where i'm confused in, lee." 

"no, not like that," lee said with a shake of his hand, "how do you feel without him?" 

new looked away in thought.


	18. Chapter 18

after lee had left, new still thought about his question. even after a few days had passed, he still pondered. throughout those days, the only answer that really came was that he felt lonely. 

new always felt lonely though. he wasn't one to have a lot of close friends and he never minded to be by himself, he didn't mind being alone. it was just his usual lifestyle, but through those short weeks of tay being around him, he became part of his everyday life. 

he would speak to tay everyday, he would message tay everyday, he would see tay everyday, and he would even think of tay everyday. it just became a thing. and now tay wasn't his everyday. 

new felt his heart drop.


	19. Chapter 19

"tay," new calls out once he sees the male walk out of the cafe. 

he watches the smile disappear from tay's face when he spots him, a frown quick to replace. 

"tay," new says again, following tay who had walked past him, "i'm sorry." 

tay ignored him and pulled out his phone as if new wasn't there. new felt a sudden wave of sadness. 

"tay, listen to me. please?" new asks, waiting for tay to respond or turn around or anything, but it didn't come. tay kept walking, tapping away on his phone. 

"i'll tell you why," new says, "why i ignored you. the real reason." 

tay finally stops walking. new stops as well.


	20. Chapter 20

"go ahead." 

new lined his lips, hands held together tightly as he stared down at his drink on the table. they had come inside tay's workplace to talk. 

"you said you were going to tell me," tay said, "if you lie again, i'm not going to give you another chance." 

new nods, feeling his hands sweat and his heart beat from nervousness. taking a deep breath in, new begins, "i didn't mean to make you mad at me." 

tay didn't say anything, letting new continue.

"i didn't mean to make you unhappy, i didn't mean to make you lose your smile, i didn't mean to like you..." new's words faltered at the end, his eyes going up to meet tay's confused ones, "tay, i like you a lot. i know it's only been a few weeks and we've only just met, so it was surprising for me too. but i really do like you."


	21. Chapter 21

"then, why did you ignore me?" tay asks, seeming just a bit sad. 

"because we only just met," new states, down-casting his eyes to avoid tay's, "we only just got to know each other and i didn't want it to be fake. i thought maybe it's because we got along so well, maybe it's because i haven't had such a good friend to get along with, maybe it's not a real crush..." 

new lets out a heavy sigh, feeling some weight lift off his shoulders. he continues, "i was scared, i guess." 

"you didn't have to be," tay responds, "you could've told me. you didn't have to lie about being busy or whatever." 

"i'm sorry," new apologizes. he hears tay sigh.


	22. Chapter 22

new falls face first onto his bed, phone ringing beside his ear. 

"hello?" lee answers immediately. 

"i told him," new says, shutting his eyes and feeling a little bit tired. 

"and?" 

"and he said he had to think about it."

"think about what?" lee asks, "your feelings?" 

new shook his head, though lee wouldn't be able to see it. "my apology." 

"then what about your feelings? did he say he liked you back?" 

"he didn't say anything about that," new says with a sigh, rolling over to his back, "he doesn't like me like that, anyways." 

"but...i thought he did..."

new sadly smiles at lee's confused tone. 

"are you okay?" lee asks with worry. 

"yeah. i'm fine. at least i told the truth," he tells lee. maybe now, he could see tay smile.


	23. Chapter 23

new was just laying in his bed, thinking of a certain someone's smile, when he got a phone call. checking the name, he reads tay and hesitates to accept. 

would this be the end of their built friendship? new was scared. still, he swallowed his nerves and answered the call, pressing his phone against his ear. 

"h-hello?" he says. 

"new," tay begins, making new worry with sweat, "can i come over?" 

new looks around his place, seeing how messy it was. "uh, yeah. yes." 

"okay, good. i'll be there in a few minutes."


	24. Chapter 24

new was a nervous wreck once he heard his doorbell ring. he tried to calm his beating heart, inhaling and exhaling a few more times before making his way over to his door and twisting the knob open. 

"hi," he says dumbly once he meets tay's eyes. 

"hi," tay says back, a small smile on his lips. new feels his heart soar at the sight. tay continues, "can i come in?" 

new quickly nods, stepping aside so tay could walk in. shutting the door behind him, he follows tay to his couch and sits down. he kept his eyes on the floor, not knowing if he should look at him or not. 

"i thought about it." 

new nods, feeling his heart drum against his chest. 

"i forgive you." 

new looks to tay, mouth open to say something back, but tay holds up a hand to stop him. 

"i'm not done," he explains, putting his hand down again. new watches tay's lips form into a smile, making his stomach do a summersault at the sight. tay finishes, "i like you too." 

new's eyes widen.


	25. Chapter 25

new doesn't think he hears tay right. his eyebrows knit together and he's trying to think back to what tay was saying. it doesn't make any sense to him, like it's all just a dream. 

"what?" he says out loud, confusion clear in his voice. 

"i like you too," tay repeats. 

new shakes his head. he's still confused, but he's sure he's not dreaming anymore. tay said he liked him. "me?" he asks, pointing at himself. 

tay laughs, loud and bubbly. new's eyes widen at the sight, the beauty, the sound. he hasn't heard or seen tay be tay in so long. he missed him. 

"yes, you!" tay answers, bringing new back to what was going on. 

new blinks. tay likes him back? tay likes him back. "you like me back?" 

tay's smile widens. "yeah, dumbass. i like you back." 

"holy shit." 

"when are you going to get over this? it isn't a big deal," tay says. 

"it is to me! you like me back!" new had to tell lee! 

tay rolls his eyes, but the smile never fades away. "so, when are we going to kiss?" 

new almost chokes at the question. tay wants to kiss!


	26. Chapter 26

"you won't believe what just happened," new exclaims into his phone the second lee picked up. tay had just left his apartment with the promise to text him when he's home. 

"it's like one in the morning, what the fuck would go on now?" lee sighs, voice groggy. he must've been sleeping. 

"tay said he liked me!"

"who cares if tay said he liked yo — wait, tay said he liked you!?" lee asked, suddenly sounding awake and excited. 

new laughed at his friend's reaction. "yeah! i know! and then he asked to kiss!" 

"ew," lee responds, "wait, go back to him saying he liked you! what happened? when? how?" 

"okay, okay!" new said, laying down on his couch as he recited the whole moment to lee.


	27. Chapter 27

"you're here!" tay exclaims happily when new walks into the cafe. he missed this scene: walking in and seeing tay smile as he called out his name. 

once he was at the register, he leaned in close and whispered, "i missed you." 

tay giggled, whispering back, "i missed you too." 

god, new wanted to kiss him, but he had to hold his urge back. maybe they could sneak into the bathroom and share one later. 

"same order?" tay asks once they were done ogling each other. 

new hums, adding, "and one tay please." 

tay laughs. "coming right up!"


	28. Chapter 28

"you know, you guys owe me big time," lee points out to the couple in front of him who were making love eyes at each other any chance they got. "i introduced you guys to each other." 

new hums, finally liking away from tay. "yeah, thanks lee." 

"i'll treat you to a free drink from the cafe," tay says with a grin. 

"what about you, new?" lee asks. 

"i'm your best friend," new says, looking down at tay's empty hand and taking it into his. they intertwine their fingers, fitting perfectly. "do i still have to give you something?" 

"i made you meet the love of your life, of course you do!" lee exclaims, "and i suffer through your calls and text messages whenever you and tay kiss or whenever he says he loves you!" 

new blushes at that. "okay, fine. i'll buy you something from tay's cafe." 

"you can't give me the same thing tay is!" 

"couples give one gift together, so we might as well just buy him one drink," tay points out to new. 

"that isn't fair!" lee exclaims, but it was to no avail. tay and new we're ignoring him again. lee rolled his eyes, shaking his head bitterly. he shouldn't have come.


	29. Chapter 29

"now that i think about it," tay speaks, leaning forward on the table as new finished his drink. it became a daily to come to tay's cafe for a free macchiato. "the first time we met, you were really weird." 

"what do you mean?" new asks. 

"you didn't smile," tay pointed out, "i thought you were kind of creepy. like who doesn't smile when you meet someone new?" 

new laughs at the memory, remembering his first impression of tay. 

"actually, i thought you were weird too." 

tay scrunches his eyebrows. 

"i thought you were too smiley. and then when i saw you again, you had this big smile on you all the time. even after, all the times i came to the cafe, you were just always smiling." 

"isn't that normal?" tay asks with a chuckle. 

new shrugs. "i don't know, but at first, i was weirded out." 

tay smirks, "what about now?" 

new smiles back, leaning himself close and confessing, "now i love it. i think i can't go a day without your smile." 

"stop making me want to kiss you." 

new looks around, making sure no other employee was looking to snitch tay for not doing his job before closing the distance between them and leaving a short, but sweet kiss on tay's lips. 

they smile at each other after pulling away.


	30. Chapter 30

"i like stars," new says one night. they were cuddling in bed, naked feet tangled together after have done a certain exercise. new was spooning tay, holding him close and leaving kisses on his back every moment or so. 

tay laughs. "didn't you say this to me before?" 

"do you remember my favorite one?" new asks, leaving a small kiss on tay's bare shoulder. 

"yeah, it was basic," new hears tay reply, "the sun." 

"do you want to know the reason why?" 

tay starts shifting around so he could face new. releasing his grip to let tay snuggle inside his arms again, new confesses, "i like the sun because it reminds me of your smile." 

"you're so cheesy." 

"i'm being serious. i didn't even think anyone could compete against something so bright, yet here you are lighting my life and making me feel happy every day." 

"shut up, nerd," tay says, a grin on his lips. 

"the sun has nothing on you," new continues. 

"shut up or i'll kiss you!" 

"your smile beats any smile out there, tay. it's really the most gorgeous, most beautiful, most stunning smile i've ever seen in my ent — mphh!" 

new couldn't finish his sentence, lips too occupied with another's own soft ones. he smiled into the kiss, humming in consent. this was bliss. 

once they pull away, he smiles at tay. 

"i love you, you rock," tay says shyly, pressing his face to new's chest. 

new hums. "i love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that’s how the nickname hin was established between taynew in this universe lmao


End file.
